1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water-based ink.
2. Description of Related Art
Ink jet recording methods that are known include static electricity aspiration methods, methods in which mechanical vibrations or displacements are imparted to ink using a piezoelectric device, and ink discharging methods such as methods wherein ink bubbles are caused to form by heating the ink and the pressure from that is used. Ink droplets are formed through these discharge methods, and recording is conducted by causing some or all of these droplets to adhere to the targeted recording materials such as paper or the like. In addition, when writing instruments such as fountain pens, felt-tip pens or ballpoint pens are used, ink is dispensed from the capillary tubes in the commonly known manner, and recording is conducted by causing this to be received by the targeted recording material. As ink used in these kinds of ink jet recording methods or writing instruments, ink formed by dissolving or dispersing various types of water-soluble dyes or pigments in water or a solution composed of water and water-soluble organic solvents has been used.
In the above-described types of conventional ink, naturally various properties are required. But of these, the properties which are particularly necessary are: a recording property such that when conducting recording using the ink, blinding and deposits are not formed at the nozzle, orifice or pen tip of the recording device so that stable dispensing is possible when recording is interrupted or when recording is not conducted for an extended period of time; a fluid stability property; a quick drying property such that printed materials dry quickly and do not smear even when touched by a finger or the like; a printing quality property such that there is no whisker-shaped smearing of printed characters or ruled lines or the like and there is no mixing of colors (bleeding) in areas where differing colors are beside each other; and a low odor property such that there is little odor from the ink itself.
Experiments have been performed in an effort to derive an ink having desired properties. For example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Sho 62-21033, an ink is disclosed which contains as the primary components polyvalent alcohol derivatives selected from (mono-, di-, tri-) ethylene glycol alkyl ethers and/or (mono-, di-, tri-) ethylene glycol alkyl ether acetates, and alcohol amine, water-soluble dyes and water. However, conventional inks including the above-described example did not satisfy all of the fluid stability, quick drying, printing quality, safety and low odor properties.